Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of music from musicians who have died at an early age. I may sound a bit morbid by saying that, but I find it heartbreaking and fascinating to listen to the immense amounts of potential in such young artists.

One of my favorite bands is The Doors. The lead singer, Jim Morrison, died at the age of 27 from an alleged overdose. He was part of the "27 Club," or celebrities who passed away at the young age of 27. He was a singer, a lyricist, a poet, a young star who died too soon.

Another young talent lost was Bradley Nowell, the lead singer of Sublime. The band's sound with Nowell as the original lead singer was like no other. Their songs were full of depth wrapped in humor, and they were one of the best ska punk bands of the 90's.

All these early deaths make me wonder about how these bands would have sounded if they had been able to continue to grow as musical talents. Would their fame even be acknowledged as great, or would they be cast aside as just another band from that generation? Would their music be as influential as it is today if they hadn't kicked the bucket?

It makes you stop and think about music today and who is becoming famous for what. Is talent measured in longevity or instant popularity? I believe that regardless of age, good music is good music. All that a band really needs to become successful is passion for their craft and determination. And I don't necessarily mean monetary success. If today's musicians could pour their heart and soul into their art, the music scene would flourish with originality again.

Who knows, the next Jimi Hendrix (another "27 Club" member) could be in our generation.